List of experimental cat breeds

The Aegean is a cat of Greek origin that has been developed since the 1990s by the Feline Federation of Greece, using cats from the Cyclades. The name comes from the fact that the cats were originally found around the Aegean Sea. They are considered a national treasure of Greece. Aegean cats are a landrace, and are one of the oldest distinct populations of the domestic cat. They have an affinity for fishing and water, and are numerous in Greek fishing ports. It is a medium-sized, muscular cat with a lighter European or Continental type body, medium-sized round paws, and green almond-shaped eyes. The coat is always two or three colors, one of which is always white. The breed is mostly free from common feline diseases. == Alpine Lynx ==

The Alpine Lynx is a white, short-tailed cat breed that can have either curled or straight ears. They may be either short- or long-haired, and may have tufted toes. They are a medium-sized breed whose back legs are longer than their front legs. It was developed from a cross between a Highlander and a white barn cat. It is recognized by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry. == American Lynx ==

The American Lynx is a short-haired cat breed with a spotted coat. This breed is bob-tailed or short-tailed. The coat pattern bears some resemblance to that of the bobcat. This breed is recognized by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry. == American Polydactyl ==

The American Polydactyl is a polydactyl cat, meaning that it has more than the usual number of toes. This breed is currently in development. it is recognized (since 2004) only by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry. == American Ringtail ==

The American Ringtail, also known as the Ringtail Sing-a-Ling, is a cat breed with the ability to hold their tail in a ring-like shape. It is recognized as registration only by The International Cat Association. == Aphrodite (Cyprus, Cypriot, Aphrodite's Giant, St. Helen, St. Nicholas cat) ==

The Cyprus cat is a landrace of cats native to Cyprus; it is a localized variant of the Aegean cat. As with the latter, attempts are underway to true-breed certain traits and establish a standardized breed, under a variety of names by different breeder groups. Recognition so far, under the name Aphrodite, is limited to the World Cat Federation/World Cat Congress since 2012, provisionally by The International Cat Association since 2017, and various more localized bodies such as the Cyprus Cats National Breed Association and the Cyprus Feline Society. == Australian Tiffanie ==

The Australian Tiffanie is a cat breed derived from crosses between the short-haired Burmilla and the long-haired Chinchilla Persian. These cats resemble the old style of the Chinchilla Longhair. Some name confusion exists with this breed; this Australian cat is not the same as the Tiffanie breed in Europe (also known as the Burmilla Longhair) or the Tiffany breed in the United States. It is recognized by the Waratah State Cat Alliance. == Bambino ==

The Bambino is a dwarf cat cross between the Munchkin and Sphynx breeds; it has the short legs of the former and the lack of fur of the latter. It is recognised by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry. In 2005, two cat breeders, Stephanie and Pat Osborne, started the Bambino breed at their Holy Moly Cattery in Arkansas, which later went defunct. They likely named it Bambino (Italian for "baby") because of its properties. One year later, The International Cat Association (TICA) recognized the Bambino as an experimental breed of cat. It is technically legal to own a Bambino, but owning and breeding of it is discouraged and considered unethical due to health problems. In 2019, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority ordered a couple to stop breeding the Bambino due to welfare concerns, which include painful limited mobility as a result of dwarfism. The Bambino has also been given the name "XL Bully Cat" due to its similarities to the American Bully (XL Bully Dog). == Bramble ==

The Bramble is a large wire-haired cat breed with a spotted coat pattern. It was derived from crossing the Bengal with brush-coated Peterbalds. It originates from the US and is recognized by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry. == Classicat (Jungala) ==

The Classicat is a cat breed originating from New Zealand. It is overall an Ocicat-type, but has a coat with the classic swirled tabby pattern. It is recognized by the New Zealand Cat Fancy. == Desert Lynx ==

The Desert Lynx is a bob-tailed or short-tailed cat breed of US origin. This cat has spotted or marbled markings and resembles the bobcat, and the breed is recognized by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry. == Dwelf ==

The Dwelf is a dwarf cat cross of Sphynx, Munchkin, and American Curl stock, and has the defining traits of all three breeds: hairlessness, shortened legs, and curled ears. The breed is of US origin and was recognized by the now-defunct Dwarf Cat Association (or Designer Cat Association). Later, it became recognized by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry. == Elf ==

The Elf or Elf Sphynx is a nearly hairless variety with ears that curl backward. The gene responsible for hairlessness in the Sphynx (and thus in the Elf) produces skin that is not completely hairless; two types of hair formation occur: a few patches of light hairs particularly around the nose, tail, and toes; and a fine downy all-over covering. Care issues are as with Sphynx cats. this in-development variety is not recognized by major breed registries and cat-fancier organizations such as The International Cat Association (TICA) or the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA). Some breeders have published draft breed standards for the Elf, based on those for the foundation breeds, but these documents are not entirely consistent with each other. Breeders are seeking TICA recognition as a preliminary new breed. The Elf has been included in the Australian National Cats (ANCats) breed list as experimental. == Foldex ==

The Foldex cat, also known as the Exotic Fold, is a cat breed developed in the Canadian province of Quebec by crossbreeding a Scottish Fold and an Exotic Shorthair. Foldexes are medium-sized cats with a rounded face, short legs, and sometimes folded ears; while the latter are intended to be the defining feature of the breed, only about 50% of them exhibit it. The eyes are rounded, the ears small, and the body stout like that of Scottish Fold, with a short face between those of the two originating breeds. The coat may be of any length, colour, and pattern. The variety is recognized as a breed in its own right by one cat registry, the Canadian Cat Association (CCA), but not by any of the major international ones. Further breeding and promotion by Jeanne Barrette resulted in the Canadian Cat Association (CCA) accepting the nascent breed in its Experimental category in November 1998. It was promoted to the CCA's New Breed category in August 2006, and granted Championship status in 2010. their ears grow straight in their adult stage as in most other cat breeds. Folded kittens' ears begin to show a visible fold between 21 and 28 days old. The Foldex's body stature is medium-built with strong muscles, short legs and a short neck. Their ears may resemble those of the Scottish Fold breed, but they only have one crease which folds forward and downwards, while Scottish Folds have multiple creases that result in their ears laying flat. Their coats have variety of colour, patterns, and lengths; the CCA standard permits any coat colour and pattern, and any length, since it also permits outcrossing to Exotic Longhair. Their nose is longer than an Exotic, but shorter than a Scottish Fold. Foldex cats are genetically predisposed to a risk of feline polycystic kidney disease (PKD), which can cause renal failure. This predisposition is inherited from the Exotic ancestry, being a trait of Persian and related breeds. A Foldex cat can be pre-screened for the genetics that cause PKD. Foldexes are also be genetically predisposed to health conditions inherited from the Scottish Fold, including congenital osteochondrodysplasia, chondrodystrophy, osteodystrophy, and epiphyseal dysplasia, caused by the folded-ear genetic mutation (the Fd and the government of Flanders (Belgium) has taken a similar position. Several countries and sub-national jurisdictions have enacted animal welfare laws or regulations that prohibit breeding of fold-ear cats, including: Germany in 2005, Austria in 2020, and even the birthplace of the Scottish Fold breed, Scotland since 2018. Some countries have also banned selling or giving away fold-ear cats, and Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFé), do not recognise, nor allow for the registry of, Scottish Folds and related breeds due to their health issues. == Genetta ==

The Genetta is an American-originating dwarf cat breed derived from crossbreeding the Munchkin and Bengal (sometimes also Ocicat) breeds in an effort to create a long-bodied, short-legged cat with a spotted, striped or marbled coat. The breed is named after–and is an attempt to superficially resemble–the African genet (Genetta sp), which is a viverrid, not a felid (though the viverrids are distantly related to cats under the Feliformia suborder). It is recognised by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry. == Highlander (Highland Lynx) ==

Originally developed in 1993 as the Highland Lynx, and accepted by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry (REFR) under that name, this cat is a crossbreed of the Desert Lynx and the Jungle Curl, to add the latter's curled ears to the former. It became known as the Highlander in 2005, and was recognized as a "preliminary new breed" by The International Cat Association (TICA) in 2008, and an "advanced new breed" in 2018. Though the breed is said to resemble the bobcat and was originally given a name that included the word "lynx", it is a wholly domestic cat without any bobcat (or any other lynx species) ancestry. REFR later split the breed into the original Highland Lynx (Desert Lynx × Jungle Curl) which conflicts with TICA's breed definition. == Jungle Curl ==

The Jungle Curl cat is a felid hybrid cat breed of US origin, primarily a cross between the African jungle cat (Felis chaus) species (or a domestic hybrid based on it, such as the Chausie), and another domestic breed that has curled ears such as the American Curl, Highlander (Highland Lynx), or Hemmingway Curl, with the addition of several other spotted hybrid breeds, including Bengal, Savannah, and Serengeti. The Rare and Exotic Breed Registry recognizes the breed. The ears are curled, polydactyly is permitted, and the coat may be spotted or tawny, and of varying lengths. == Kinkalow ==

The Kinkalow is a dwarf cat cross between the Munchkin and the American Curl. It has short legs and curled ears. It is recognised by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry. == Kucing Malaysia (Piawaian Kucing Malaysia) ==

The Kucing Malaysia, or Piawaian Kucing Malaysia, is the first indigenous Malaysian cat breed. It has a conformation similar to the Tonkinese, while its color is similar to the Ragdoll. These cats have a white blaze on the face and muzzle and white markings on the colorpoint limbs. It is recognized by the Malaysian Cat Club. == Lambkin (Nanus Rex) ==

The Lambkin, also known as the Nanus Rex, is a short-legged dwarf cat breed of US origin with a densely curled coat. They are derived from crossing the Munchkin and the Selkirk Rex. This breed is recognized by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry and formerly by the now-defunct Designer Cat Association or Dwarf Cat Association. == Mandalay ==